Motion-picture projector film feed



June 13, 1950 R, J, MlLLER 2,511,732

MOTION-PICTURE PROJECTOR FILM FEED Original Filed June 16, 1942 IIIIIIIIIIl/I '1 ZIM fue @gym/,awww

Patented June 13, 1950 MOTION -PI'CTURE PROJECTOR, FILM FEED Raymond J. Miller, Detroit, Mich- ,l assig-nm` to American Pattern and Manufacturing Co., a copartnership composed of Raymond J... Miller and Alfred E. Wilson, Detroit, Mich.

Original application June 16, 1942, Serial No. 447,251. Divided and this, application October 2, 1944, SerialNo.. 556,683'

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to motion picturel projectors and more particularly to improved means for lubricating lm guide rollers.

An object of this invention is to provide improved means for lubricating guide rollers for motion picture projectors in such a manner that adequate lubrication is. assured over substantial'ly the entire length of the guide roller supporting member in such a manner that smoother running is assured and any excess oil is thrown off outside of the boundary ci the film.

Another object is to provide improved guide rollers having internally disposed means for oiling the guide rollers in such a manner that oil is prevented from contacting the surface of the v nlm passing through the projector.

Yet a still further object of the invention resides in theprovision of improved guide roller assemblies having hollow roller supporting shafts whereby lubricant may be supplied to the surfaces between the rollers and shafts intermediatev the length of the rollers to lubricate the guide rollers over their full length and whereby any excess oil will be thrown ofi outside of the marginal edges of the nlm by centrifugal force exerted on radially extending flanges carried by the guide rollers.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, submitted for purposes of illustration only, and not intended to define thev scope of the invention, reference being had for that purpose to the subjoined claims.

In the drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a side' elevation partlyin section of a motion picture projector embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a guide roller and shaft assembly showing one desirable means of lubricating the guide roller.

Fig. 3 is a viewA similar to Fig. 2 showing a modi-ned form of lubricating means.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of an eccentric connection between a guide roller supporting shaft and a guide roller supporting arm.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view illustrating nlm guide rollers positioned in the aperture plate.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it isto be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose. of description and not of limitation.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the invention is illustrated as applied to a motion picture projector having a main case. Ill preferably separated by an intermediate wall I2 into a lm compartment and a mechanism compartment. A light source. positioned behind a shutter housing I4 is adapted to direct light through the housing I4, and a rear aperture pressure plate housing I5 having an aperture therein to project successively spaced images from flexible strip film aligned with anl aperture inl the housing I6` positioned in the film compartment.

The film is yieldingly maintained. in engagement With the members forming the aperture by a pressure plate I8. The aperture pressure plate I8 may be moved axially with reference to the aperture in the pressure plate housing I5 by means of a manually operable lever 20 to facilitate the threading of nlm into the projector. The projected images are magnified by a lens positioned in a suitable lens tube assembly 2 2 and are projected onto a screen positioned forwardly of the projector in such a manner as to be viewed. The lens assembly may be moved longitudinally relative to the aperture in the housing I6 to focus the projected images by means of a manually operably lens focusing member 24- projecting through the forward case of the housing I0.

Strip film 26 may be drawn from a suitable film magazine carried by a magazine adapter 28 and passed over an upper film driving sprocket 30 having a plurality of sprocket driving teeth 32. The film 26is directed downwardly between vthe aperture pressure plate IS and the housing asisa The film 26 may be maintained in contact with the driving teeth 32 of the sprocket 30 by means of a guide roller 42 mounted on a shaft 44 carried by an arm 46 adjustably fastened to the intermediate wall l2. The lm 26 may be maintained in contact with the driving teeth 38 of the lower driving sprocket 36 by means of a guide roller assembly having spaced guide rollers 48 and 56 similar to the guide roller 42 of the upper assembly. It will be understood that a single guide roller may be used to maintain the film in driving contact with the lower sprocket 36 if desired and a plurality of guide rollers 42 may be employed to maintain the nlm in contact with the upper driving sprocket 3U.

Since the guide rollers 42, 48 and 50 are substantially identical, only the upper guiding roller will be described in detail. The roller 42 is provided with longitudinally spaced flanges 52 positioned to straddle the driving teeth 32 on each side of the driving rollers to maintain the apertures positioned adjacent the edges of the film 25 in contact with the driving teeth 32 of the driving sprocket 39. The guide roller 42 is also provided with enlarged flanges 54 positioned adjacent its ends to lie outside the marginal edges of the lm whereby excess lubricating oil will be thrown radially by centrifugal force outside of the marginal edges of the film.

The guide roller shaft 44 is as illustrated in Fig. 4 provided with an eccentric projection 56 adapted to be adjustably clamped by a locking screw 58 in an arm 60. The position of the guide roller 42 and the flanges 52 relative to the driving sprocket 39 and driving teeth 32 may be varied by oscillating the shaft 44 on its eccentric adjustment to increase or decrease the clearance between the guide roller and the driving sprocket.

Where a plurality of guide rollers are employed to guide the film with reference to a single driving sprocket such as the guide rollers 48 and 59, each guide roller may be individually adjusted on its associated eccentric shaft to vary its position relative to the other guide roller and relative to the driving sprocket.

As more clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 to 4, the shaft 44 is provided with an axially extending oiling duct 99 extending to approximately midway7 of the guide roller 42. The duct 90 communicates with a radially extending port 92 whereby oil may be applied to the inner surface of the roller 42 to lubricate the space between the roller 42 and shaft 44. Oil thus deposited iiows axially in both directions to thoroughly lubricate the driving rollers and any excess oil is thrown off by the radially extending iianges 54 positioned outside of the marginal edges of the film 26.

AS illustrated in Fig. 2, a ball check valve 94 yieldingly urged by a spring 96 may be provided to maintain lubricant within the port 90, the lubricant being supplied to the port 90 by depressing the ball 94. A snap ring 98 positioned in a. groove adjacent the outer end f the shaft 44 may be provided to maintain the guide roller 42 on the shaft 44. A screw driver slot |90 may be provided to permit oscillation of the shaft 44 to adjust the eccentric projection 56 between the shaft 44 and the arm 6D to vary the spacing of the guide roller with reference to the driving sprocket. When it is desired to actuate the shaft a pronged screw driver may engage the screw driver slot |99, or the ball and spring check valve may be countersunk to permit the use of a normal screw driver.

If desired, a screw |04 illustrated in Fig. 3 may be threaded into the outer end of the shaft 44 to maintain the guide roller 42 on the shaft and to maintain lubricant within the port 99.

Referring now to Fig. 5, it will be observed that guide rollers |39 and |32 are positioned in the housing I6 and are mounted on a shaft |34 journalled at one end in an arm |36 and a boss |38. The roller |32 is maintained against axial movement by means of a stop |49 clamped to the shaft |34 by a stud |42. The guide roller |30 is yieldingly urged toward the guide roller |32 by means of a spring |44. An internal port |46 terminating in radially extending openings |48 is provided to lubricate the space between the guide rollers |30 and |32 and the shaft |34, a ball check oil cup |59 being provided to close the outer end of the boss |38 in which shaft |34- is journalled. Radially extending flanges |52 carried by the rollers |39 and |32 are provided to discharge oil that seeps through the point between the rollers to prevent oil from travelling axially to get on the radially extended portions of the rollers |39 and |32 which engage the lm.

This is a division of my copending application Serial No. 447,251 filed June 16, 1942, now Patent No. 2,423,334 issued July 1, 1947, which was a continuation in-part of my previously filed application Serial No. 250,310, filed January 11, 1939, now Patent No. 2,312,663 issued March 2, 1943.

I claim':

1. In a motion picture projector having a lm driving roller including axially spaced radially extended lm driving teeth to project into apertures positioned adjacent the edges of film, a lm guide roller assembly associated with the lm driving roller and comprising a shaft, an arm supporting the shaft and movable angularly to locate the shaft between positions adjacent and spaced from the film driving roller, the shaft having an axially extending lubricating bore intersecting a radial lubricating bore extending into the shaft intermediate the length of the shaft, a guide roller rotatably mounted on the shaft to overlie the r radial lubricating bore, longitudinally spaced flanges carried by the guide roller to straddle the film driving teeth of the lm driving roller, enlarged flanges positioned adjacent the ends of the nlm guide roller whereby excess lubricating oil discharged from the radial lubricating bore of the shaft will be thrown off radially by centrifugal force outside the marginal edges of the film, the iilm guide roller being uninterrupted between said enlarged flanges to prevent the escape of oil from the guide roller between said enlarged flanges, and a removable plug for closing the axially extending lubricating bore of the shaft.

2. In a motion picture projector having a film driving roller, a film guide roller assembly associated with the lm driving roller and comprising a shaft, an arm carrying the shaft and movable angularly to locate the shaft between positions adjacent and spaced from the film driving roller, a film guide roller rotatably mounted on 'the shaft, said shaft having an axially extending lubricating bore intersecting a radial lubricating bore extending into the shaft intermediate the length of the shaft, the guide roller being positioned on the shaft to overlie the radial lubricating bore, and enlarged anges positioned adjacent the ends of the nlm guide roller whereby excess lubricating oil discharged from the radial lubricating bore of the shaft will be thrown off radially by centrifugal force outside the marginal edges 5 of the lm, the guide roller being uninterrupted between said enlarged flanges to prevent the escape of oil between said enlarged flanges.

3. In a motion picture projector having a lm driving roller, a lm guide roller assembly associated with the nlm driving roller and comprising a shaft, an arm supporting the shaft and movable angularly to locate the shaft between positions adjacent and spaced from the film driving roller, a guide roller rotatably mounted on the shaft, means to deposit lubricating oil between the shaft and the guide roller, and enlarged flanges positioned adjacent the ends of the film guide roller whereby excess lubricating oil `deposited between the shaft and guide roller will be thrown off radially by centrifugal force outside the marginal edges of the film, the film guide roller being uninterrupted between said enlarged flanges to prevent the escape of oil from the guide roller between said enlarged flanges.

RAYMOND J. MILLER..

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,854,004 Tschopp Apr. 12, 1932 1,957,164 Frappier et al. May 1, 1934 1,961,471 Wright June 5. 1934 2,418,544 Collins Apr. 8. 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 486,804 Germany Nov. 27, 1929 376,868 Great Britain July 21, 1932 

